The Right to Great Stories: Celebrating the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Deborah Ellis, Eric Walters, Maria Lassén-Seger and Christina Wahldén

The Right to Great Stories: Celebrating the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award

Deborah Ellis, Eric Walters, Maria Lassén-Seger and Christina Wahldén

5:00pm

Friday, September 30, 2022

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award was created in 2002 by the Swedish government to promote every child’s right to great stories. This global award is given annually to a person or organization for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature. With a prize of five million Swedish kronor, it is the largest award of its kind. Above all else, it highlights the importance of reading, today and for future generations. Join us for a fascinating conversation with two of this year’s Canadian Nominees, Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters, to explore their work beyond the pages of their writing as well as how vital access to books and stories are for every child.

“Everything great that ever happened in this world happened first in somebody’s imagination. Children create miracles when they read” – Astrid Lindgren

Event panelists include Maria Lassén-Seger and Christina Wahldén.

Ticket Info:
Date & Time: September 30 at 5pm ET
Where: Fleck Dance Theatre
Duration: 60 minutes
Ticket prices: $17 – Regular; $12 – Youth; or Get a TIFA Pass
*This event will be followed by a book signing

This event is supported by the Swedish Embassy and the Ontario Arts Council.

TIFA Kids is generously supported by Gail and Mark Appel.

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award appears as part of Nordic Bridges 2022.

TIFA Kids Logo        Embassy of Sweden logo

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award was created in 2002 by the Swedish government to promote every child’s right to great stories. This global award is given annually to a person or organization for their outstanding contribution to children’s and young adult literature. With a prize of five million Swedish kronor, it is the largest award of its kind. Above all else, it highlights the importance of reading, today and for future generations. Join us for a fascinating conversation with two of this year’s Canadian Nominees, Deborah Ellis and Eric Walters, to explore their work beyond the pages of their writing as well as how vital access to books and stories are for every child.

“Everything great that ever happened in this world happened first in somebody’s imagination. Children create miracles when they read” – Astrid Lindgren

Event panelists include Maria Lassén-Seger and Christina Wahldén.

Ticket Info:
Date & Time: September 30 at 5pm ET
Where: Fleck Dance Theatre
Duration: 60 minutes
Ticket prices: $17 – Regular; $12 – Youth; or Get a TIFA Pass
*This event will be followed by a book signing

This event is supported by the Swedish Embassy and the Ontario Arts Council.

TIFA Kids is generously supported by Gail and Mark Appel.

The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award appears as part of Nordic Bridges 2022.

TIFA Kids Logo        Embassy of Sweden logo

Featured Authors

Deborah Ellis
Deborah Ellis is the author of the international bestseller The Breadwinner, which has been published in twenty-five languages. She has won the Governor General’s Award, the Middle East Book Award, the Peter Pan Prize, the Jane Addams Children’s Book Award and the Vicky Metcalf Award. A recipient of the Order of Canada, Deborah has donated more than $2 million in royalties to organizations such as Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, Mental Health Without Borders, the UNHCR and the Children in Crisis fund of IBBY. She lives in Simcoe, Ontario.

Read more about Deborah Ellis

Eric Walters

Eric Walters is one of Canada’s best-known and most prolific writers of fiction for children and young adults. His books have won over 120 awards, including thirteen separate children’s choice awards, as well as the Africana Children's Book Award, the UNESCO Award for Literature in Service of Tolerance and The Christopher Award. His books have been translated into thirteen languages. He lives in Guelph, Ontario, and is the co-founder of Creation of Hope, a charity that provides care for orphans in the Mbooni district of Kenya. In 2014, Eric was named a Member of the Order of Canada.

Eric Walters’ Festival appearance is generously supported by the Swedish Embassy.

Read more about Eric Walters

Maria Lassén-Seger
Maria Lassén-Seger works at the Åbo Akademi University in Finland. She is specialized in children’s and young adult literature and currently involved in a research project on the rise of children’s literature criticism and research in Finland (2022-2024). Lassén-Seger teaches, gives lectures and writes about children’s and young adult literature in both scientific and educational contexts. She is a former jury member of the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award (2008 – 2021).

Read more about Maria Lassén-Seger

Christina Wahldén
Christina Wahldén is an award-winning Swedish author who has published more than 75 books, mainly for children and YA readers. Her books often deal with violence against women and children, such as sexual violence and honour related crimes. She has visited and written about Kenya, the DRC and Afghanistan. Among her work is a trilogy about WWII and another trilogy about a Somali girl who wants to become a police officer. Her latest book, New Life, was made in collaboration with school children in a so-called "vulnerable" area in Malmö. Once, Christina rubbed her nose with Astrid Lindgren.

Read more about Christina Wahldén

5:00pm

Friday, September 30

To top